Gov. Scott praises area woman

Published: Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 5:09 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 5:09 p.m.

Betty Kay Clements never thought Gov. Rick Scott would know her name, much less thank her.

But Tuesday, during his State of the State address, Scott honored Clements, who lives in Lake County, for her work helping intellectually challenged Floridians. The Villages resident, who sits on an Agency for Persons with Disabilities advisory board, and whose daughter is mentally disabled, was Scott's guest at the event when he again announced his plan to fund the agency an additional $36 million.

The APD has a waiting list of about 22,000 clients who want Medicaid waivers in order to pay for programs to train mentally challenged residents with life and job skills.

The APD, which has an annual $1 billion budget and assists about 30,000 people, has not had additional money for new Medicaid waivers for the past eight years, said APD spokeswoman Melanie Etters.

Clements, 75, is the mother of Laura Lynn Clements, a 51-year-old intellectual disability client who received services from APD to prepare her for her work at Target.

Clements said her daughter was lucky and only had to wait on the Medicaid waiver list for a couple of years before getting funding. Others have waited much longer.

"She's a story of what, when they get (the help they need), they can accomplish," Clements told the Star-Banner during a telephone interview after the State of the State address.

"That's the great proof of it. Once she was able to get the services and the job coach, she was able to work. She gained confidence and pride like everybody else does doing a good job," said the retired registered nurse. "They have many skills. It's just that many times they haven't been developed."

But how much of the $36 million will find its way to local Marion County agencies that train and mentor people with mental disabilities? Not much, according to ARC Marion and Goodwill Industries on State Road 40, both of which train adults for jobs and prepare them to live on their own.

"It will be minimal," said ARC Marion CEO Troy Strawder.

Strawder, who said he's seen his state funding cut seven times in the past five years, estimates that about half a dozen local people with Medicaid waivers, due to the additional $36 million, will benefit from ARC Marion programs.

Statewide, the $36 million increase will allow an additional 750 individuals with critical needs to enroll in home and community-based services in their local communities, according to the Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, a nonprofit that represents service providers to the mentally disabled.

The problem of the 22,000 people on the state's waiting list won't be solved by just additional money, Strawder said. The problem is how the money is doled out.

For each dollar that's disbursed by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities to nonprofits, another 5 cents is needed to pay for the service that the clients are receiving, he said.

That nickel may not sound like much, but multiply that amount every day for the nearly 300 people who benefit from ARC Marion, Strawder said, and the dollars add up quickly.

Strawder said that one example is that while ARC Marion provides group housing for high-functioning clients, it also provides the same service for those on the lower-end functioning scale, who can each easily cost $5,000 monthly to house.

"So it doesn't take long to eat that money up," he said.

Regardless of the financial loss, Strawder said he will accept however many clients come to his door with the Medicaid waivers, and continue to try and make up the financial loss with private donations, also on the decline.

"We will serve them because that's what we do," he said, "It's our mission."

Strawder predicts that larger Florida cities, and families with the most severely impaired members, will get the lion's share of that new $36 million.

Derek Arnold, manager of the Goodwill Industries store on State Road 40, described Strawder's assessment of the dilemma behind state funding as "dead on."

"I would be surprised to even get a half dozen people," Arnold said of the additional funding.

His Goodwill store serves 40 intellectually disabled clients and trains them and others to prepare for the workforce.

But while Marion County won't likely see many people benefit from the additional funding, Arnold said there's no shortage of people needing the help.

Many people with intellectual disabilities in Marion County needing help are no longer in school, but also haven't learned the skills to get and keep a job.

"They're kind of in a purgatory state, a nowhere state," he said, citing the state's 10-year Medicaid waiver waiting list. "We (in Marion County) have a lot of people in limbo."

<p>Betty Kay Clements never thought Gov. Rick Scott would know her name, much less thank her.</p><p>But Tuesday, during his State of the State address, Scott honored Clements, who lives in Lake County, for her work helping intellectually challenged Floridians. The Villages resident, who sits on an Agency for Persons with Disabilities advisory board, and whose daughter is mentally disabled, was Scott's guest at the event when he again announced his plan to fund the agency an additional $36 million.</p><p>The APD has a waiting list of about 22,000 clients who want Medicaid waivers in order to pay for programs to train mentally challenged residents with life and job skills.</p><p>The APD, which has an annual $1 billion budget and assists about 30,000 people, has not had additional money for new Medicaid waivers for the past eight years, said APD spokeswoman Melanie Etters.</p><p>Clements, 75, is the mother of Laura Lynn Clements, a 51-year-old intellectual disability client who received services from APD to prepare her for her work at Target.</p><p>Clements said her daughter was lucky and only had to wait on the Medicaid waiver list for a couple of years before getting funding. Others have waited much longer.</p><p>"She's a story of what, when they get (the help they need), they can accomplish," Clements told the Star-Banner during a telephone interview after the State of the State address.</p><p>"That's the great proof of it. Once she was able to get the services and the job coach, she was able to work. She gained confidence and pride like everybody else does doing a good job," said the retired registered nurse. "They have many skills. It's just that many times they haven't been developed."</p><p>But how much of the $36 million will find its way to local Marion County agencies that train and mentor people with mental disabilities? Not much, according to ARC Marion and Goodwill Industries on State Road 40, both of which train adults for jobs and prepare them to live on their own.</p><p>"It will be minimal," said ARC Marion CEO Troy Strawder.</p><p>Strawder, who said he's seen his state funding cut seven times in the past five years, estimates that about half a dozen local people with Medicaid waivers, due to the additional $36 million, will benefit from ARC Marion programs.</p><p>Statewide, the $36 million increase will allow an additional 750 individuals with critical needs to enroll in home and community-based services in their local communities, according to the Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, a nonprofit that represents service providers to the mentally disabled.</p><p>The problem of the 22,000 people on the state's waiting list won't be solved by just additional money, Strawder said. The problem is how the money is doled out.</p><p>For each dollar that's disbursed by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities to nonprofits, another 5 cents is needed to pay for the service that the clients are receiving, he said.</p><p>That nickel may not sound like much, but multiply that amount every day for the nearly 300 people who benefit from ARC Marion, Strawder said, and the dollars add up quickly.</p><p>Strawder said that one example is that while ARC Marion provides group housing for high-functioning clients, it also provides the same service for those on the lower-end functioning scale, who can each easily cost $5,000 monthly to house.</p><p>"So it doesn't take long to eat that money up," he said.</p><p>Regardless of the financial loss, Strawder said he will accept however many clients come to his door with the Medicaid waivers, and continue to try and make up the financial loss with private donations, also on the decline.</p><p>"We will serve them because that's what we do," he said, "It's our mission."</p><p>Strawder predicts that larger Florida cities, and families with the most severely impaired members, will get the lion's share of that new $36 million.</p><p>Derek Arnold, manager of the Goodwill Industries store on State Road 40, described Strawder's assessment of the dilemma behind state funding as "dead on."</p><p>"I would be surprised to even get a half dozen people," Arnold said of the additional funding.</p><p>His Goodwill store serves 40 intellectually disabled clients and trains them and others to prepare for the workforce.</p><p>But while Marion County won't likely see many people benefit from the additional funding, Arnold said there's no shortage of people needing the help.</p><p>Many people with intellectual disabilities in Marion County needing help are no longer in school, but also haven't learned the skills to get and keep a job.</p><p>"They're kind of in a purgatory state, a nowhere state," he said, citing the state's 10-year Medicaid waiver waiting list. "We (in Marion County) have a lot of people in limbo."</p><p>Contact Fred Hiers at 867-4157 or fred.hiers@starbanner.com.</p>